Joker (2019) ** ½/5: This is a somewhat menacing examination of the descent into madness but not much else apart from constant cackling. Heath Ledger's Joker still remains the standard not this charlatan played by Phoenix.

(photo courtesy of slashfilm.com)

Joker is a somewhat menacing examination of the descent into madness but nothing else. There is a lot of maniacal laughter or cackling but no meaningful additions about the Joker ethos. There is nothing particularly memorable here in terms of quotes or perspectives. I left only with memory of the laughter and a predictable tale of urban alienation that leads to an explosive reaction in society. The attempt to cover the Joker in blood and to tie him with the batman is especially pathetic and throws off an important timeline in the comic books. There is no reconciliation or expansion of the character’s significance despite the sense of loss and attention seeking; nothing memorable about his role  as the prince of crime in Gotham city. They paint a portrait of a pathetic individual who suffers from mental illness who decides to wear a clown mask as a form of reprisal of the perceived wrongs of society and that’s about it. There is a realistic edge to the portrayal but this bogs the film down and it meanders as we, the audience, look for something meaningful to attach to it. The film is not particularly impressive but there were moments which suggest what this film could have been. Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight is still the standard.

The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, an aspiring standup comedian with a medical condition- the pseudo bulbar affect (PBA). He eventually battles through madness and becomes known as the notorious Joker. It is a tale of urban alienation reinforced by Arthur’s interaction with several characters that deepen his sense of loss and inadequacy. Robert De Niro puts in a memorable turn as veteran comedian Murray Franklin along with Zazie Beetz as Sophie Drummond. Arthur’s mother, played by Frances Conroy, also plays a crucial role in the film.

Positives

The primary positive is the realistic approach used to developing the character of the Joker. I never knew of the particular condition that affected Arthur, pseudo bulbar affect (PBA), and that was a real eye opener. The next time one watches the joker in action this will always be at the back of their mind. Before we never fathomed that the Joker’s constant maniacal laughter could be possibly linked to a particular condition. The film also establishes that the Joker is mentally ill and this becomes clear in some of the best moments  where he develops an obsession with Sophie. His delusional episodes are a clear indicator why he should be locked up in Arkham asylum despite his savagery. His PBA condition and mental illness can be universally applied going forward because after this film most will accept the fundamentals of joker’s psychosis. This is an alienated man who is denied any form of reconciliation and his response is typically violent. This element of urban alienation, or alienation in general,  can be applied to the current mass shooting phenomenon in the USA. The clown element is one way to stand out on Arthur’s part but the main issues is whether or not it is a fundamental problem.

There is this yearning to be accepted by any means necessary and there is the concern that the more negative trends and the complete disregard for society is very attractive. In the film we hear that the wider problem is the rich and the Joker becomes a typical anti-hero or anti-establishment figure challenging societal norms embodied in characters such as Thomas Wayne and the comedian Murray Franklin. It makes you wonder how many jokers lie in wait throughout the world and just need that spark to erupt in wholesale disorder. I guess this is why we have the Batman alternative.

Negatives

The primary negative is that the character of the Joker does not come to fruition in this film. There is a descent into madness and an examination of how affecting alienation can be but nothing transcendent. This is half a film because a film about the Joker shouldn’t just be an examination of madness or PBA but about crime in the city of Gotham. Joker is renowned for his role as the clown prince of crime but this is not present here. He is presented as just a typical sociopath, or psychopath if you prefer, but not the true clown prince of crime. There is actually no real discussion of a crime problem just the hatred for the rich and a violent clown that expresses that hatred.  The standard portrayal of the Joker in film was done by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight and it was made very clear what he represented in society, an agent of chaos. This is not evident in the current Joker where we only get an insight into madness. There are no memorable quotes to take from this film, just cackling. There is no indication in this film that the joker could actually be a major crime figure. This was very disappointing because the film meanders a lot with many monotonous or unnecessary scenes that drag out the discussion of madness. Although the Joker has to deal with a lot of social issues it is clear that one motivating factor had to be his involvement in the crime underworld, which is mostly absent; no dealings with the mob /organized crime. The character of the Joker without crime is not an effective character.

My last gripe with this film is the absurd connection with the Batman. Some may argue that it was a good thing but I thought it was absurd because it never established the joker as a crime mastermind. His limited form of social upheaval was not the motivating factor for the introduction of the batman. It is a good thing this film will not be a major cultural phenomenon because this would flip the script of the Batman origins. Many will not accept the connections established between the joker and a young Bruce Wayne. It came across as shallow and actually limited the development of the joker’s character independent of the batman. The film lost me at this point because it was more important to discuss the development of the joker independently of the batman. No connection should be established between these 2 absolutes apart from what they represent to society.  It was absurd and completely unnecessary and robbed the film of its impetus. It was probably an indicator that they really did not have much to say about the joker as a character apart from him being typically mad and alienated. I was actually looking forward to a post credit-scene where the Joker and the Batman actually meet.  Nothing doing, just songs about smiling. Lame. Are they really saying that when the joker first meets the batman he is actually an old man? The timeline for this film is way off. Actually trying to make the Joker the reason for the emergence of the Batman is even worse going forward and sets up some hackneyed revenge scenario.

All in all, I was very disappointed. They got too bogged down in the reality of it all. I want to see the origins of the real prince of crime, not this charlatan played by Phoenix.  Heath Ledger’s Joker remains the standard and he never had this much screen time. Next time the filmmakers must learn to make each second count and write a better, more kinetic script. This is the Joker we’re talking about, not some average Joe.